Tube positioning device of tube flaring tool

ABSTRACT

A clamping device of a tube flaring tool for firmly and precisely clamping a tube includes a base having a slot and a clamping assembly having two clamping members to clamp a tube therebetween. The clamping assembly is received in the slot of the base, and a gap is formed between a working end of the clamping assembly and a sidewall of the slot for a stopping member inserted into the gap. The stopping member has opposite sides abutting against the sidewall of the slot, the working end of the clamping assembly, and an end of the tube clamped by the clamping assembly to precisely position the tube at a predetermined portion for the following flaring task.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a tube flaring tool, and more particularly to a tube positioning device of a tube flaring tool.

2. Description of Related Art

For the task of butt connection of two tubes, one of the tubes had to be flared for the other tube to be inserted therein. A tube flaring tool is applied to flare the tube for the butt connection. A tube is put on a clamping device of the tube flaring tool, and a swaging punch is forced to be squeezed into the tube to flare it. However, the tube may be broken by the when swaging punch there is a part extruded out of the clamping device.

Taiwan utility model patent no. M519558 disclosed a positioning device of a tube flaring tool, which provides a shaft in a cavity of a clamping device. A stopping member has a hub fitted to the shaft for rotation. The hub has an extending portion at an end distal to the cavity, and the extending portion has a stopping plate to abut against an end of the tube for positioning of the tube.

The clamping device is a brand new device of the aforesaid patent, and the structure thereof is very complex. Besides, the stopping device is connected to the shaft all the time without any device to fasten it, so that the free-moving stopping device may interrupt the tube flaring task.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning device of a tube flaring tool, which provides the tube a precise positioning without the problem of interruption.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning device of a tube flaring tool, which provides a movable stopping plate to position the tube at a precise position.

The third objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning device of a tube flaring tool, which provides a stop plate to be removed and stored in an easy way.

In order to achieve the objective of the present invention, a clamping device of a tube flaring tool for precisely positioning a tube for a flaring task includes a base having top, a bottom opposite to the top, a first lateral side connected to the top and the bottom, a second lateral side connected to the top and the bottom and opposite to the first lateral side, a front side connected to the top, the bottom, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a rear side connected to the top, the bottom, the first lateral side and the second lateral side and opposite to the front side, and a slot having an opening at the top, wherein the slot has a first end proximal to the front end and a second end opposite to the first end and proximal to the rear end; a clamping assembly having a first clamping member and a second clamping member, both of which are received in the slot of the base to clamp a tube therebetween, wherein the clamping assembly has a working end proximal to the first end of the slot to form a gap therebetween; and a stopping member having a stopping portion and a resting portion connected to the stopping portion, wherein the stopping portion is removably received in the gap, and the resting portion rests against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tube flaring tool of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the positioning device in operation;

FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a tube faring tool, having a flaring device 10 and a clamping device 20. A tube 12 is adapted to be clamped and positioned by the clamping device 20, and then an end of the tube 12 is aligned to a punch 14 of the tube flaring tool 10. Operation of the tube flaring tool 10 will move the punch 14 toward the tube 14 to flare it.

As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping device 20 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base 22 and a clamping assembly 24. The base 22 has a top 220, a bottom 222 opposite to the top 220, a first lateral side 224 connected to the top 220 and the bottom 222, a second lateral side 226 connected to the top 220 and the bottom 222 and opposite to the first lateral side 224, a front side facing the tube flaring tool 10, and a rear side opposite to the front side.

The base 22 further has a slot 26 with an opening at the top 220 thereof. The slot 26 has a first end 260 and a second end 262 opposite to the first end 260, wherein the second end 262 is adjacent to the rear side of the base 22, and the first end 260 is between the front side and the rear side.

The clamping assembly 24 includes a first clamping member 240, a second clamping member 242, and a pin 244 with opposite end received in holes of the first and the second clamping members 240, 242 to position the first and the second clamping members 240, 242. The first and the second clamping members 240, 242 each has a recess to form a cavity, and a tube 12 is adapted to be clamped by the first and the second clamping members 240, 242 and have a portion received in the cavity.

A stopping member 30 has a stopping portion 32 and a resting portion 34 connected to the stopping portion 32. An angle is formed between the stopping portion 32 and the resting portion 34. In the first preferred embodiment, the stopping member 30 is a bent plate to have the stopping portion 32 and the resting portion 34 at opposite sides of a bending portion.

As shown in FIG. 3, the clamping assembly 24, which has a working end 246, is received in the slot 26 of the base 22, and a gap 40 is formed between the first end 260 of the slot 26 and the working end 246 of the clamping assembly 24.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the stopping portion 32 of the stopping member 30 is received in the gap 40, and the resting portion 34 is rested against the top 220 of the base 22. In the present embodiment, the stopping portion 32 of the stopping member 30 has opposite sides against the first end 260 of the slot 26 and the working end 246 of the clamping assembly 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, with the stopping member 30, the clamping assembly 24 is firmly received in the slot 26 of the base 22, and the tube 12 clamped by the clamping assembly 24 has an end abutting against the stopping portion 32 of the stopping member 30 to precisely position the tube 12. A driving member 50 is connected to the base 22 and has an end extending into the slot 26 to press the second clamping member 242 of the clamping assembly 24. In the present embodiment, the driving member 50 has a screw rod screwed into a threaded hole on the first lateral side 224 of the base 22 to have an end received in the slot 26. The driving member 50 further has a pressing plate 52 connected to the end of the screw rod received in the slot 26 to touch the second clamping member 242 of the clamping assembly 24 directly. As a result, turn the screw rod may move the pressing plate 52 toward the second clamping member 242 to clamp the tube 12 firmly.

As the description above, the end of the tube 12 may be precisely and firmly positioned at a predetermined position in the clamping assembly 24 by the top member 30 and the driving member 50. Next, remove the stopping member 30, and connect the faring device 10 to the clamping device to the clamping device 20, and then drive a punch to move into the tube 12 via the end to flare the tube 12.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a clamping device of the second preferred embodiment, which is the same as the clamping device 20 of the first preferred embodiment, except a stopping member 30. The stopping member 30 of the second preferred embodiment is a flat plate, having a stopping portion 32 and a resting portion 34. The resting portion 34 is wider than the stopping portion 32, so that the resting portion 34 has resting edges 36 against the top 220 of the base 22 when the stopping portion 32 is inserted into the gap 40. The operation and functions of the clamping device of the second preferred embodiment are the same as above, so we do not describe it again.

The present invention provides the stopping member 30 inserted into the gap 40 between the clamping assembly 24 and a sidewall of the slot 26 to precisely position the tube 12 clamped by the clamping assembly 24 that benefits to the following flaring task.

The stopping member 30 is removed and stored before the flaring task so that it would not interrupt the flaring task.

It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A clamping device of a tube flaring tool for precisely positioning a tube for a flaring task, comprising: a base having top, a bottom opposite to the top, a first lateral side connected to the top and the bottom, a second lateral side opposite to the first lateral side, a front side connected to the top, the bottom, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a rear side opposite to the front side, and a slot having an opening at the top, wherein the slot has a first end proximal to the front end of the base and a second end opposite to the first end; a clamping assembly having a first clamping member and a second clamping member, both of which are received in the slot of the base to clamp a tube therebetween, wherein the clamping assembly has a working end proximal to the first end of the slot to form a gap therebetween; and a stopping member having a stopping portion and a resting portion connected to the stopping portion, wherein the stopping portion is removably received in the gap, and the resting portion rests against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.
 2. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the stopping portion of the stopping member has opposite sides abutting against the working end of the clamping assembly and the first end of the slot.
 3. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the stopping member is a bent plate to have the stopping portion and the resting portion at opposite sides of a bending portion.
 4. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the stopping member is a flat plate, and the resting portion is wider than the stopping portion, so that the resting portion has a resting edge to rest against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.
 5. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the resting portion is wider than the stopping portion, so that the resting portion has two resting edges to rest against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.
 6. The clamping device of claim 1, further comprising a driving device connected to base, wherein the driving device has an end received in the slot, and a pressing plate connected to the end, whereby the driving device is operated to move the pressing plate toward the clamping assembly, and so as to firmly clamping a tube between the first clamping member and the second clamping member.
 7. The clamping device of claim 2, wherein the stopping member is a bent plate to have the stopping portion and the resting portion at opposite sides of a bending portion.
 8. The clamping device of claim 2, wherein the stopping member is a flat plate, and the resting portion is wider than the stopping portion, so that the resting portion has a resting edge to rest against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.
 9. The clamping device of claim 2, wherein the resting portion is wider than the stopping portion, so that the resting portion has two resting edges to rest against the top of the base when the stopping portion is received in the gap.
 10. The clamping device of claim 2, further comprising a driving device connected to base, wherein the driving device has an end received in the slot, and a pressing plate connected to the end, whereby the driving device is operated to move the pressing plate toward the clamping assembly, and so as to firmly clamping a tube between the first clamping member and the second clamping member. 